The Shadow's Light
by Kauriamine
Summary: 6 years after the Seattle massacre Kit and her best friend find themselves kidnapped by the Volturi. They manage to convince Kit she is their best chance at destroying a rogue coven of vampires that seek only to destroy. Something feels off, but what?
1. Prologue

Whew! This is my first fanfiction ever so I hope it's ok. Please R&R if you've got the time!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in the Twilight saga, they belong to Stephanie Meyer. All other characters are my own.

**Prologue: Whatever the hell I just did, it can't be good.**

I used to be normal. Well, sort of. I never really was normal, but now I'm really pushing those boundaries. Alright, fine, so I crashed through that pitifully feeble blockade and kept on going and going like the energizer bunny on crack. Sue me. I don't know what I think of this. Or what I _should_ think of this. Somewhere along the line I expect to wake up and find this was all some crazy dream.

There's but one flaw to this theory.

I don't sleep. Therefore I don't dream.

Ever.

It also appears I don't have this biologically essential function called a heartbeat. I'm not a doctor, by any means, but that really can't be good. I'm not dead though. At least, I'm pretty sure I'm not, despite the technical, "Hello? You haven't a damn heartbeat!"

But that's a mere technicality.

I used to laugh at those who called me death-prone, was I actually so, I'd have been dead. I guess that just sounded better than doing-stupid-shit-that-could-get-you-killed prone. Even now, where I'm obviously not _alive,_ I'm not exactly death-prone. Wouldn't it have to happen a lot before I could be considered prone to it?

Does this train of thought even matter right now?

The saddest part of all this is I was just starting to settle down. Wrong word choice. I've always been slightly...over the top. Honestly, if I had a guardian angel, he'd have died of a heart attack long before _this_ ever happened. Unless he didn't have a heart beat either. Haha, yeah right. In any case I'd finally found somebody I could count on, even if the circumstances of our meeting was a bit less than conventional...

I've always been told I was insane due to the stunts I pulled on a regular basis, but I'm not. I'm merely crazy and crazy is fun. When you're insane, you're psychotic. Your brain doesn't function and-wait-maybe I _am_ insane...

After all, in way too many ways, this is making me _happy._ That's wrong, primarily because I brought Chrys into this. Poor, sweet, innocent Chryssie. Dammit, I'm such an idiot. If it weren't for me she'd be fine. I wouldn't have ruined her whole life for her.

Perhaps I should start at the beginning.

Well _duh_. Where else should I start? My brain really does have some serious malfunction.

I'd been forced-after an arduous struggle-to accompany Chrys on a day trip to Seattle. I fought this tooth and nail until Chrys brought up the whole I-owe-her-for-falling-out-of-a-tree-and-landing-on-her thing. Stupid guilt trips.

The worst thing about this ordeal was that it was a _shopping _based ordeal. Unless a store smells wholly like food or electronics, I'm gone. Shopping is the most detestable tedium to ever _dis_-grace the face of the Earth.

(Yes, I really do hate it that much.)

Then-the horror among horrors- is dress shopping, the prime event for the day. Or I should say night since, by the time my procrastination was finally brought murderously to a halt (sweet Chryssie has a scary side), night had newly fallen.

Luckily for us-aka, her- stores weren't closing until past midnight because of some stupid witching hour sale or whatever. We'd ended up circling the parking lot for half an hour before finally ending up parking a couple blocks away. Chrys was less than thrilled but I could care less; a few more minutes of freedom for me.

The cutest thing about Chryssie is easily her jumpiness. She's scared of practically everything, and I waste no time pointing out how funny she looked each time. She felt a little more at ease around me, at least, despite me being shorter by a couple inches. (This saddened me greatly.) Apparently I was a good person to have around if anything went wrong. A number of times I'd tested my luck with that one.

I'd laughed outright when Chrys divulged her fear of the Seattle massacre. Really, that was _six years _ago for cripes sakes! At least she tried to look confident, but she didn't fool me. I'd known her too well. She had nervousness written all over her face. I never could have guessed the relevance of her fear.

She'd been fretfully going over the "game plan" when I heard it, a scream erupting in an alleyway but five feet from us. I reacted on instinct, hissing at Chrys to run before taking off at a sprint in the other direction. I trusted her to get a move on, this course of action being nothing new to either of us.

I remembered hearing her yell a desperate "Be careful, Kit!" as her heavy footfalls faded into the night. I had burst into the alley like a rampaging mare, eyes drinking in the scene before me; then I froze.

There before me stood probably the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, staring smugly at me with her hands on her hips. Behind her was a man, looking equally as smug. That wasn't right. Shit! I'd raised my guard, preparing for a fight; but nothing in the known universe could have prepared me for the lightning blitz that ensued. Their sheer speed made my head spin dramatically.

I don't remember much of what happened next; it was way too fast to wrap my head around. Honestly, the only thing my mind registered my body striking the hard ground with a thud, shortly followed by my head cracking against the concrete. The pain that coursed through me had me desperately wishing for the blackness that's said to trail a crushing blow to the head. I wanted it bad, but of course I didn't get it.

The next thing I knew, a fresh wave of burning pain ensnared me, sweeping over my entire body. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced, and I've had my fair share of injuries. My muscles writhed of their own volition, forcing me to bring them under control. I would not be seen faltering. I would not let them get the better of me.

Silence in the face of excruciating pain was my specialty after all.

Inwardly I bit back a moan. I wanted nothing more than to cry out in agony, I almost wished I was dead. Almost. My pride is a ridiculously powerful force inside me, second only to my ridiculously militant conscience. Deep down, I burned for a rematch. I couldn't stand losing, especially not in such a humiliating fashion.

It hadn't taken me long to realise that I'd been tricked. Why, that was something I hadn't quite figured out. They could have been bating anyone, I couldn't have been special. After all, I'd never been to Seattle in my life. Hell, I'd just gotten my passport to come to the states two weeks ago! But on the extremely off-chance they _had _wanted me, they couldn't have found a better way. I could never pass by someone who needed help. That was partly because it was who I was.

Another part was because I was living on borrowed time.

In any case, I couldn't just stand there and let someone get hurt or even killed! The few who liked me jokingly stated I'd lost the essential instinct of self preservation at young age, but is that so wrong? Is it wrong that I'd rather take a bullet for a stranger rather than live knowing I sat there when I could have _done _something? Who gives a shit about preserving something that doesn't matter anyway...?

In what felt like decades later, the pain only grew worse and worse, but I managed to remain composed. My teeth clenched I felt as if my insides were trembling. Son of a bitch did it hurt. I blankly wondered what in the bloody hell was happening. Why did it feel as if I was bleaching my blood? I mean, I'd oxidized my hands by accident before, but this was ridiculous!

The invisible molten lead flowed on inside me, taking getting your blood boiling to a whole new meaning. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the blue fire left my limbs-and flowed straight for my heart. _Shit!_

If ever I wanted to cry out, it was now more than ever. My chest heaved violently, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. I heard what sounded like whispers in the background, somewhere far, far away. Surely nothing could be where I was now. I tuned it out, focusing on not blubbering like a little girl. I hit my maximum, the pain was too intense, and then my flailing heart just...

Stopped.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in the Twilight saga, they belong to Stephanie Meyer. All other characters are my own.

**Chapter 1: Well, um, that's...interesting...**

I remained frozen-eyes closed-wondering if I was dead. The pain had vanished instantaneously. I had to be dead. Maybe I was dead even before the whole heart-stopping-in-a-less-than-figurative-way thing. What the hell was with that anyway?

I had lain there awhile just listening. To what? I don't know! A flurry of sounds filled my ears; normal sounds, but something was off. Everything seemed curiously distinct, it was too _clear. _I listened to a slight rustle of the leaves, a far off scurrying. Was that a mouse? How the hell could I hear a _mouse?_ Then something else caught my attention, the sounds of velvet voices whispering conspiratorially.

"So why can't we kill her again?" Came an almost tinkling voice. "She's taking damn near forever."

"You idiot," interjected a more masculine voice that was still strangely...musical, "As bad as it would be crossing Aro, do you know what happens when you break a mirror?" Mirror? What the hell was he talking about? Who cared about stupid mirrors? Or bad luck for that matter? Bad luck didn`t exist...unless that`s what had been trailing me my whole life. It was a funny thought. Some screwed up black cloud followed me my whole life.

"You're too far gone," tinkled the female. "Imagine: a superstitious vampire!" Vampire? What the hell? Maybe I really was, in fact, dead. I definitely lost more than a few screws. There wasn't such thing as vampires! Was there?

I cautiously peeled my eyes apart to unveil the shadowy canopy of treetops that hovered ominously over me. Where...was I? I let my eyes adjust to the darkness-taking an astonishing one thousandth of a second-and laid there, absolutely dumbstruck. I almost blabbed, "Who turned on the HD?" This kicked major blue ray ass. There were so many vibrant colours, many of which I couldn't even name.

I could feel my jaw literally dropping (thus disproving my adamant predisposition that the action was no more than a petty hyperbole used by those who couldn't think of anything better to write). I stood to my feet-rather I thought of standing and was suddenly doing so. Eh? Ok, something was totally wrong! Well, duh! What was my first clue!

No heart beat ringing any bells?

Wow, I'm a retard.

"She's finally up," came a chiming chuckle. Apparently I was being waited on. Lovely. I froze, letting only my eyes search out the source of the noise. It didn't take long to find it, either, the two tall figures stood stock stick against the base of a tree. Their amused grins irked me, enough so that it took me a few moments to realise how ridiculously _gorgeous_ they were. How did two such perfect looking creatures exist? It was just plain inhuman. On another note, how the hell were they standing so damn still? With a sudden start I realised just how motionless I had remained myself.

Then I remembered that it was those two bastards that tricked me. I felt a surge of rage wash through me. I had to focus every fibre of my being to stop myself from lunging at them. Jerks. I was sure my blood was boiling, until I remembered the no heart-beat, circulation, blood thing. Bugger, that was easy to forget. I felt my hands ball into fists as of their own accord, the only slip of my facade of composure.

"A little touchy, are we?" The woman asked in her tinkling, bell-like voice. I didn't answer, desperately clinging to the last ounce of self restraint left in me. The woman just laughed and continued on, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of all?"

"What the hell are you _talking _about?" I snarled, pausing momentarily in confusion. Was that my voice? It was a little too clear...too _musical_ to be mine... If my sanity wasn't already in question-which, believe me, it was-I just gave myself the coup de grace.

Yippie for me.

"Take it slow, Melis," the male interjected, "She's new."

"Yeah, you're right," she sighed. "What's the use of taking advantage of a newborn, anyway?" I was dumbfounded. Did she honestly just call me a newborn? I was seventeen! I felt a snarl rip through me viciously. I was seconds away from ripping her head off.

The woman, Melis, I was guessing, held up her hands, "Calm down already." She eyed me warily, as if I were some kind of rabid animal. "We need you to come with us."

I jutted my chin out defiantly. "And if I refuse?" They couldn't just order me around. A certain asshole learned that the hard way after he pointed a gun to my head in a convenience store. I had plenty of arrogance to spare, even if they _could _kick my ass.

"If you refuse," she mused, her lips twisting into a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "we'll just have to take care of cute little Chryssie." I could feel my every joint tense, my eyes bulging in twin orbs of terror. No, they couldn't have... I'd told Chrysogon to run!

"What did you do to her," I managed between clenched teeth. Chrys had never harmed a fly in her whole life; why the hell would they want her? Chrys was even kind enough to accept her, a near lunatic, who had never had a home or family for as long as she could remember.

"The chameleon is fine," the male chortled. "Stay in line and she'll stay that way."

"Chameleon? What the hell are you talking about?" I blurted. "What about Chrysogon!"

"Same difference," Melis snorted. "In any case we have more important things to attend to. You feel that burning in your throat? That means it's time to hunt."

"...Hunt?" I inquired, at a complete loss. What was this crazy chick going on about now? I was even more confused than before. Sure my throat hurt, but pain was a problem I'd become adept at ignoring. It fluttered in my mind, greatly overshadowed by considerably greater problems. The two strangers didn't seem to feel like divulging more details. Instead they spun on their heels and sped off at a head-reeling pace. For a lack of a better option, I followed them.

I had always had an...addiction to adrenaline, and had done some pretty stupid things to bring on that rush. Ok, some _really _stupid things that nearly killed me on a regular basis, but this was something else. The blustering wind that rushed against my face was exhilarating. How I managed to keep up to those two was somewhat of a miracle, had my bounds been as long as theirs, I would have easily passed them, but my swiftness served me almost as well.

I needed answers, and I needed them now. I tried to be patient, but to be honest, it wasn't working. What the hell what going on? My unbeating heart, my freakishly sharp senses, my speed, my voice...This was driving me crazy! WHAT DID THEY DO TO CHRYS!

My mental spazz attack was halted as I was led into a city. I groaned aloud, Seattle was the last place I wanted to be. I wanted answers right now. We finally stopped in some sort of park but remained fairly well hidden. We hid behind a dense forest area that bordered the area as they once again turned their attention to me. The man gave me an impatient glare which immediately set me on edge. Melis didn't exactly look too patient either.

"Well?" She hissed at me.

"Well what?" I spat back, still not willing to show any semblance of subordination to the pricks that kidnapped Chryssie. What did she expect from me anyway? Melis' scowl melted away as a smirk came to take its place.

"Your throat must ache so," she cooed, trying another approach, "hunting will sooth that pain."

Her words hit me like a freight train as she inclined her head towards a robust man strolling along mere meters away while whistling tunelessly. No. No way. I could feel my eyes widen in terror. If this was the solution to my throat burning, it could remain on fire until it turned to stone. I remembered those two mention something about a vampire. Is that what I was?

"Where's Chrys?" I whispered meekly.

"She's fine," Melis assured, "Now drink!"

"Not on your life," I hissed, anger building up inside me. Never would I do such a thing. Not on her life, not on mine, not on anybody's. I watched in slight satisfaction as her jaw dropped open and she stared at me in shock. Finally I'd gotten something on her. Not that I even really knew what.

"Since when can a newborn resist without second thought?" She fretted to the male. He shrugged, staring at me with a new-and somewhat creepy-interest.

"Aro will certainly find this interesting," the man finally spoke, "She fared better than her friend."

"What happened to Chrys?" I interjected, my eyes wild with terror.

"Nothing," Melis assured me, "she just didn't have the same reaction to temptation as you." I paused, letting the full weight of what she'd just said. Chrys had killed somebody. My Chrys. Sweet, innocent, couldn't-hurt-a-fly Chrys _murdered_ a human being. This news was a little too much for me. Were it not for my pride I may have begun to cry. Assuming I could cry anyway. (Now I know I _can't_, not that I mind. Crying never suited me in the first place. I never had support so I learned to carry through things on my own two legs.)

But poor Chrys. What did I do? She shouldn't be subjected to this. It was beyond cruelty. I didn't really care about myself, I'd taken worse in stride, but Chrysogon was different. I'd grown up differently, giving me a higher tolerance for pain than Chrys. I could take could take pain with arrogance to spare. She was softer, more delicate.

"Well then," the man cut into my mental monologue. "If you won't take him, then I will." I felt a snarl rip through me menacingly.

"Don't you _dare," _I seethed, snapping out of my daze and focusing everything on him. He grinned, seeming to find my reaction amusing somehow. His smile stretched so wide I could see his fangs. So this was how it was going to be then.

"And who's going to stop me?" He mused.

"Me," I whispered with venom, ready to rip his head off if need be.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in the Twilight saga, they belong to Stephanie Meyer. All other characters are my own.

**Chapter Two: If at first you don't succeed, become a vampire and _then_ beat their ass into the ground**

I slipped into my sparring stance: standing with my left shoulder facing him, knees slightly bent, my right arm ready to punch, and my left arm on guard. I stood with no weight on my right leg so I could lash out with a round house at a moment's notice. I watched as he slipped into his own stance which was...strange. He too stood on his side, but in a low crouch, his arms slightly extended. Intrigued, I copied it.

He launched himself at me in a series of swipes and feints, strategically trying to stay at my side. I followed his pattern, dodging each blow expertly. Was this really the same attacker that had floored me in seconds? I searched analytically for holes in his guard, his rhythmic fighting easily imitated in the meantime. I decided to pick up the pace and lead the deadly dance. As we went along, I grew faster and faster without a trace of fatigue. Now _this _I could get used to.

That's when I saw the opening. His swipe had been a fraction of an inch too wide, and I seized my opportunity without hesitation. I ducked slightly, flat-palming him hard smack dab in his ribs which sent him flying ten yards into a tree. Instead of going after him, I stood down low in my newly acquired stance and waited, teeth bared.

"How did she...?" Whispered an awestruck Melis as the man stood up casually, holding up his hands in way of surrender. It dawned on me that this had been a joke or a test of some kind. I relaxed.

"I told you," he replied smugly to the still flabbergasted Melis, "Mirror." He grimaced slightly, his blood red eyes reflecting pain in the moonlight.

"What do you mean _mirror_?" I snapped. I was sick of being left out of the loop, this was getting old fast. The man sighed.

"Alright, then," he gave in, "We are members of the Volturi Guard. The Volturi are a noble coven of vampire who exist to keep our kind safe. Unfortunately, six years ago, we encountered a problem with a particularly large and hostile coven, but they were not alone. They gathered other covens worldwide and stood up openly against us. It was only by some miracle that the encounter led to no bloodshed. They crave nothing but blood and death for all, and we have to stop them.

"So for the past six years we have been trying to locate, or even create vampires with exceptional abilities. You see, vampires tend to be incredibly fast, strong, keen, whatever, but when a human turns into a vampire they tend to carry their most dominant trait with them. Only dramatically amplified. For most vampires it's the simple things, such as their looks, strength, or speed, but for others it's their knack at finding things or controlling the emotions of a crowd." He paused to make sure I was paying attention, which I was. "The latter of the examples are more of an ability than a trait. We classify these abilities very simply, if not drably.

"Our Demitri can find absolutely anyone on the planet. _Anyone. _We classify him as a tracker. There are many examples of these abilities, like your friend Chrys. We call her a chameleon because she has an ability to blend in. She will eventually be able to morph into any animal she wishes. She could go unnoticed anywhere. But then there's you. You can easily adopt my fighting patterns as if they were your own, but you could handle that almost flawlessly as a human. This leads me to believe there's so much more to your talent. In any case, we call your ability to instantaneously adopt other's techniques a mirror."

I stared at him wordlessly, taking in everything he'd just said. What kind of parallel universe Superman movie did I land myself in? So I'm now a mirror, eh? Well that's interesting. But how were they so sure I had this "talent"? How did they know Chrys was a chameleon or whatever, if she hadn't used this talent of hers yet? Maybe I heard wrong...I decided to find out for certain. "How are you so sure we have these abilities?"

"Oh," the man laughed, "that's _my _ability. I can see the potential of both humans and vampires, much like that _Eleazar _of the Denali's." He spat the name as if it were poison. Note to self: Eleazar=bad.

"Oh," I mumbled. That made sense. Sort of. As far as the 'look at me, I'm a vampire with super powers' thing could ever make sense.

"Would you like to meet them?" Melis sang happily. "Aro's been _dying _to meet you!" I nodded dumbly, unable to find the motivation to speak at the moment. I was too bewildered. This is where my stupid-o-meter rises exponentially. I began to think of this as_cool_. I mean, joining a guard to protect the hidden society of vampires from a giant rogue coven? That sounded like my kind of video game and now I could play it for real.

I was a regular magnet for danger and the only problem that exceeded that one was the fact that I _liked _it. Yeah, no kidding, there's something seriously wrong with my head. I practically skipped to the jet. I was excited; I was going to Italy of all places! I was told Chrys had left with that Demitri guy that the man who transformed me mentioned because she couldn't stand being around humans without making a scene.

It turned out Chrys had woken up a solid four days ahead of me. My transformation had taken abnormally long at seven days, though I could have sworn it had taken longer. Despite me taking longer, Chrys had definitely not taken it better. It pained me to hear a recollection of the obvious pain she'd been in; howling, screaming and sobbing throughout the entire ordeal. It was apparently a marvel I had remained silent. I couldn't help but feel guilty that Chrys had been pained so.

They assured me she was doing fine now, but that didn't make me feel much better. Especially not until I'd seen her myself. I wondered what had taken me so long to change. I was normally fast at everything I did. I had to give myself a mental slap. It should be bothering me that all this shit was happening, not that it took me so long to turn into a monster!

By the time we'd gotten to the airport I was given sunglasses to wear. I was told that, just like the two vampires who were leading me to Italy, my eyes were a glowing red. I couldn't get over how spontaneously fidgety they became when we got near humans. It made me kind of nervous, considering how normally ram-rod still they stood. I was given a blanket so I lied down and hoped my "being asleep" would divert attention from my inability to move as I once had.

Not that it really helped much.

I looked like a corpse.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in the Twilight saga, they belong to Stephanie Meyer. All other characters are my own.

**Chapter Three: Keep staring and I'll give you something to stare at**

When we finally reached Italy, it turned out we had been waited on. The man-vampire-was absolutely gigantic. He towered over me, his burly muscles flexing powerfully. I was told his name was Felix and made note of him.

Felix greeted us heartily, sizing me up and down. Despite the size difference I refused to shrink from his gaze. There was no way I'd back down now. A big smile spread across Felix's face as he nodded at me approvingly.

"It's funny Yanto," Felix said to the man who'd brought me here, "the newborn seems more at ease around people and she's you've got two and a half centuries on her!" He bursted into a fit of laughter and the man with me, Yanto, clenched his teeth in annoyance. After a few minutes Felix turned back to me with a grin. "Shall we?"

With that we were led through the city of Volterra, snaking our way through the alleyways before we went below ground. I was so lost in my thoughts that I never bothered taking in the sights, assured that I'd have _plenty_ of time to do so if I so chose. I just wanted to Chrys, enough so to distract me from my distaste at being below the earth. My place was most definitely above it and I had some awesome scars to prove it. Or, I used to but my stupid transformation got rid of them on me.

I was mulling over how I was responsible for any and every thing that had happened to Chrys when we came to a large room. The doors swung open and I immediately searched around for my friend but it was her that found me.

"Kit!" Came a tinkling chime that had only a vague resemblance of Chrysogon's voice. Luckily my reaction time was inexplicably fast, giving me half a second to prepare for the hurdling mass that was my best friend as she flung herself into my arms. She almost had me, too.

I peeled her off me in order to get a better look at her. It took me a few seconds to realise I was gaping at her. She'd always been pretty but now she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her thick brown hair looked as if it had turned to silk, her features were sharper and all of her little imperfections were gone. It was difficult piecing together her old face with her new one. I couldn't help but be disturbed by the menacing red eyes that glowed in place of her soft green ones

"Wow," I stumbled, "You look...different..." She smiled at me sheepishly, twirling around as she looked at herself.

"Yeah...and look at you too!" She chuckled slightly. I laughed back. She knew almost as well as I did that I most definitely would NOT look at myself. I hated my own reflection too much and avoided mirrors at every cost. But something about what she said caught me off guard.

"Me?" I asked, only now figuring it might not have only been my eyes that had changed. I sighed. It was pathetic how such a small thing could bother me when I was left unaffected by the ones that should have bowled me over.

Her face suddenly turned grave, something akin to shame flooding her eyes. I noticed the scent of blood on her breath and grimaced. She had, indeed, killed someone.

"I couldn't help myself," she whispered. "The scent, my throat...it was too much for me to bear..." She looked ready to cry and immediately my arm went around her shoulder. I couldn't bring myself to show even an ounce of the scorn I felt. I tried rubbing her back to avert the look in her eyes that said she was ready to fall apart. At that the door bursted open again, revealing a tall, yet childish looking vampire male.

"Fear not, Chrysogon," the tall man said in a courteous voice."I'm sure young Kit here did the same. It's perfectly normal." I wanted to say something about being called young but even Chrysogon was had a solid two years on me and we were probably the youngest here. I was the one Chrys depended on though; nobody would have ever guessed her to be older. I just made her feel comfortable. I always had since the day we met.

Fun times.

"Actually, Aro," Yanto gloated, considering I was his find I supposed he had a right to, "she didn't even flinch. She even fended me of to _protect _the human." Aro's eyes seemed to light up considerably and I could tell I had his undivided attention.

"How extraordinary," Aro marvelled. "And how did she fair in your skirmish?" The fascination in his eyes gave me a strange feeling of unease, despite the fact I'd been gawked at in similar manners many a time. You got that when you did stupid stuff, especially things involving rattlesnakes. It was cute! The others just hadn't shared the same opinion.

"She won!" Melis sang, dancing around me. "Then she just dropped the fight instead of pressing it!"

"She won?" Aro repeated, not once taking his eyes off me. "How?" I wasn't sure who he was talking to but Yanto cut in so I figured it was safe to say it wasn't me.

"She mirrored me, of course, but better," Yanto explained, that smug air never leaving his voice. "She filled in the holes of my technique, fixing my flaws and used it against me. She only got better as time went along. The more she understood _how_ I fought, the better she could emulate it and the easier she could surpass it."

Huh. I would have just summarized it as, "He was slow and sloppy; therefore I kicked his ass." Simple. Easy. His description seemed so surreal, as if I were some kind of phenomena. Sure, I could fight using a technique I hadn't seen before but that wasn't hard. Anybody with a basic knowledge of how to fight could do the same..._right?_

I really didn't like how Aro was staring at me now. This was beyond intrigue. This was like a kid who found a toy he just _had_ to have. Unfortunately, I felt obligated to trust him. He was supposedly the authority figure in this game, and no harm had come to Chrys. I resigned myself to bowing my head slightly.

"How far can this go?" Aro asked Yanto.

"The shield hasn't a chance," Yanto replied with a smirk. I was completely lost but that wasn't exactly something new at this point. I casted a sideways glance towards Chrys and she seemed just as clueless as I was. Aro seemed immensely pleased, almost giddy which seemed out of place on a grown man. He suddenly clasped his hands, grinning from ear to ear.

"Today we add two new dear ones to our coven, let us rejoice!" His features seemed to look more and more childlike the longer I stared at him. Odd. "Caius will be most pleased!" He then held his hands out to me. "May I?" He pleaded. Stupefied, I nodded, not even remotely sure what was going on, but Yanto cut in first.

"I don't know if that's the best idea," Yanto shot. Aro frowned.

"Why not?"

"I'll explain later," Yanto insisted hastily. Aro grumbled, but made no further advances. Lucky for me. I still didn't understand why, but he really gave me the creeps.

"You might as well get started then," Aro said finally, cheering up at some unknown thought. "Even with an eternity there isn't time to waste." He started to walk away when Yanto ran after him, pleading that Aro protect him from a shadow or something. He really was a superstitious vampire. Or an extremely paranoid one.

"Time to go!" Melis giggled, leading me out of the room with Chrys at my side.

"What exactly are we going to do?" I asked, feeling more comfortable around Melis rather than Aro.

"To train," she replied happily. "We need to stop the Cullen's before they become too powerful.

"Oh..." I trailed. Ok, let's go with that. So it was apparently these "Cullens" who were attempting to destroy the vampire way of life. Something felt off, but what did I know? I was just some kid dragged into something bigger than her. I still hated being called a newborn despite learning everyone else was my seniors by way more than way more than what was visible. Stupid age exceptions.

"What do you think about this Chrys?" I asked, turning to my best friend, who had remained silent this entire time.

"I think we should trust them," she said in a whisper, "but I don't know how you can stand this _burning_. It was then that I realised she was still hurting. God dammit. This must really be getting to her. I felt like an idiot for not seeing it before. This was all my stupid fault.

"I'm so sorry Chrys," I whimpered, "I'm so, so, so sorry." I would understand if she never forgave me. I didn't think I would ever forgive myself. I couldn't.

Not for as long as I existed.


	5. Chapter 4

*Yawns* I wasn't gonna post again so soon but when I realised I'd already gotten a review I couldn't help but type up another chapter. =.= (I get excited too easily).

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in the Twilight saga, they belong to Stephanie Meyer. All other characters are my own.

**Chapter Four: Anyone wanna remind me when I got drafted?**

I wasn't tired, but I was annoyed. Really, really annoyed. My "training" for the past four hours consisted of facing off against a talented vampire so I could learn to imitate techniques, and _that_ consisted of letting that bitch of a cherub from hell attack me with her mind again and again. To my slight credit, I was pissing Jane off. By the looks of things she wanted me to scream, but that was the last she'd ever get out of me.

"Rot in hell," I seethed through clenched teeth, barely managing to stay standing. I'd get her for this. It took all my focus to keep from giving her what she wanted. As much as it pained me to admit, she was good, and I hated her all the more for it. I wanted to wipe that smug smile straight off her face. I wanted her to feel the pain she'd pushed on me. Suddenly she flinched.

All my fury turned to satisfaction instantaneously. I _could_ make her feel that pain. I finally figured it out. Her power was not only driven by the mind, but it attacked the mind. There wasn't actually any physical pain; it was all about forcing your will on another.

And absolutely nobody would ever beat me in a battle of obstinacy.

I stopped slouching, standing up straight, closing my eyes and focused my mind. I had a vivid image of how the pain felt and I imagined her feeling it herself. Every last ounce of it. I imagined her hitting the floor, screaming and writhing in agony.

My eyes snapped open as I realised I _wasn't _imagining her screaming. I stopped immediately, shocked at my success. She was lying on the ground screeching blue murder, doing absolutely nothing to compose herself. I guess she realised her own medicine really freaking sucked. Unfortunately, I took no pleasure in her pain, even if she was a maniacal little she-devil.

I was surprised how easily she went down. I supposed she really was too used to overpowering her opponents without a fight. She didn't _need _to learn to tough it out, and subsequently, she had absolutely no tolerance for pain. I guess I wasn't the only one in need of training.

Applause sounded wildly from the back of the room. Melis danced over to me, a huge bemused grin playing across her lips. It would seem that I wasn't the only one that wanted to put Jane in her place. Only Melis seemed to truly enjoy Jane's suffering. Melis' deep pink hair was in beautifully stark contrast with her hauntingly red eyes. I had difficulty telling if it was hair dye or if some vampires were just like that. Not that it mattered. It suited her too perfectly.

Melis' face was lit up in a luminous smile, her sharp teeth flashing brilliantly. To my slight disturbance, her moment of joy seemed to unveil an almost menacingly quality to her. She _really_ must have hated Jane, not that I could blame her. Had a wave of guilt not washed over me, I might have felt inclined to continue.

"Brilliant!" Melis cheered, her nose scrunching slightly as her smile spread. "Bravo!" She held up her hand for a high-five and I obliged her. I was proud of myself. Jane and her devil twin Alec seemed to be pretty prestigious around here and I just figured out how to hand her ass to her on a silver platter.

It was strange that I'd only just noticed that Melis was a fair bit shorter than me. She couldn't be taller than five foot nothing. I stared at her cloak which wasn't quite as dark as the one that Jane wore but wasn't light by any means. It struck me that the darker the cloak, the more powerful the vampire. Melis must've been able to handle her own quite efficiently. The deepest black was obviously held solely for the ancients and their wives.

I allowed my gaze to wander over to Chrys, who's training had been a lot more-thankfully-mundane than mine had. I tried not to laugh as her ears vanished with a pop and were replaced with the large flapping ears of a grey elephant. She hit the ground, her balance lost in the sudden change of weight. Melis chuckled when she noticed my stare.

"I'm an advanced chameleon myself," she cooed proudly. "Did you know that?" I shook my head, I most certainly did not. I couldn't help but wonder how many mirrors there were. "Watch this," she mused, suddenly disappearing into thin air. I looked around the room, trying to figure out where she could have gone.

"BOO!" She shouted from behind me, almost causing me to jump out of my skin. Almost. I was relieved not to have embarrassed myself.

"So are there many other mirrors?" I asked, trying to get as much information as possible. They seemed to enjoy keeping me in the dark way too much. Melis frowned.

"No. Gifts are never the same but there are variations. We tend to give them generic terms to keep it simple. As a chameleon both Chrys and I can blend in. She will be able to morph into any animal she chooses but I, on the other hand can change any part of me to any colour. I can change my voice, height, appearance, everything. It all depends on my mood." She giggled at the thought.

"In the same respect, Eleazar can sense the potential of somebody he's in close proximity to. On the other hand, Yanto can feel the potential of a vampire from anywhere in the _world. _He'd just never find them if it weren't for Demitri." She started giggling some more. "As far as mirrors go, you're the first, but Yanto is _so_ superstitious! He actually believes that if he'd have killed you in your transformation, he'd have seven years bad luck! _Stupid vampire."_

It randomly occurred to me that Jane was no longer in her room. I guess she wasn't my biggest fan. I stared blankly into space, thinking about the demon midget when Melis re-seized my attention.

"I have to report back to Aro. Feel free to look around," she smiled to herself. "I'm sure your cloak is going to be even darker than the twins'. I'm jealous. You're going to be Aro's most prized possession."

"His what?" I questioned, my eyes narrowing. I'd been caught off guard and I really didn't like people considering me as an inanimate object.

"He calls us his dear ones," she replied hastily. "Sorry I phrased it that way. I _meant _to say you're going to be his new favourite." I didn't trust her tone. She backtracked too fast.

"Why?" I asked suspiciously.

"Because he loves the unique," she chirped happily. I figured there was more to this than she was letting on. She said nothing else, choosing to make her exit. I considered going after her skipping form but decided against it. It wasn't worth it. I offhandedly wondered what happened to Yanto. Maybe that shadow of his had gotten him. I smiled at the thought of a big, bad vampire running from shadows like a five year old.

I wasn't alone for very long before a small crowd bustled in. They eyed me up expectantly as if waiting for a spectacle. I groaned as I realised that said spectacle was supposed to be _me. Joy_. What was the big deal already? Alright, I was different, why did that matter so much? What could a single vampire possibly do? Maybe I was some kind of a sideshow. Or _maybe _someone was going to burst in and say that I'd just been on a pranked.

I might have actually believed that...if I had a heart beat.

I couldn't help but notice the particular stare of a golden-eyed vampire who, needless to say, stood out amongst a sea of red eyes. They were so...beautiful. I refused to admit there were _other _reasons he stood out besides eye colour. I wasn't willing to get into that. I forced myself to look away before I came across as a complete moron, though I'm sure I already had. I was good at making myself look stupid.

It kind of surprised me how intensely dark each cloak was. They made Melis' look white. _Crap. _They weren't here to watch and they most certainly weren't a welcoming committee. They were here to test me. Bugger.

You'd think they'd have given it a rest after Jane. Especially since by _their_ standards I was hardly a day old. Really now, a day. Did they have nothing better to do than pick on the new kid? Don't get me wrong, I was happy they'd at least Chrys go, but I didn't remember exactly signing up for this either.

The first one to come forward was a dark haired male who looked to be about twenty three, but I was probably off by a few centuries. I felt strangely detached as the group swirled around me. It was almost dizzying. "We have come to realise that you can't use a technique unless you understand how to use it," he said, a dark smile twisting on his lips. I felt the circle enclose on me. "So we're going to teach you the way you seem to learn best. Experience." He laughed as I glared openly at him and beckoned a couple of vampires to stand in front of me, stances ready.

"Let us begin."

3


	6. Chapter 5

Please read and review if you have the time! X3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in the Twilight saga, they belong exclusively to Stephanie Meyer. All other characters are my own.

**Chapter Five: Pick on the new kid. Go ahead. Just don't cry to me if I cut your tongue out.**

I whizzed through the air, crashing into the cement wall with a _crack_. I hated them all. Over the past few weeks it had become increasingly apparent that I had trouble imitating something that only affected me indirectly. Which meant Melis was having a field day slamming me around the place.

I took some satisfaction knowing that Jane wouldn't come anywhere near me. Aro had suggested she give it another shot and she'd went down even faster the second time. Served her right. The crowd around me had roared in its approval, making it clear that Jane wasn't exactly a fan favourite around here.

I staggered to my feet, closing my eyes in annoyance. I just couldn't get this one down and Alec was all too happy that whenever I started gaining the upper hand on him, Melis would smack me around from out of nowhere. It was bullshit. They couldn't just let me face one person to adapt their moves, they had to make it a pain in the ass two pronged attack.

To my embarrassment, I admittedly paid too much attention to the golden-eyed vampire when I should have been fighting. He never once took his eyes off me and his gaze was so...intense. He was tall, easily six foot four, and he had perpetually unkempt raven black hair. As much as I hated to admit it, he was stand-out hot, even in a room filled with vampires. I kept finding myself staring in his eyes. I never asked his name, just emphasize to myself that I didn't care. Unfortunately I did. He seemed to know something that everyone else didn't. That's what got my attention.

What could it possibly be? His intensity suggested it could be something big. Maybe even something about me.

He'd never once unveiled his talent to me and never spoke nor trained me. Judging by his eye colour I felt confident in assuming he, too, was a chameleon which would explain the cold shoulder. Why teach me the same basic technique twice?

I shook my head emphatically; I was becoming an obsessed moron. I wasn't used to giving people much attention, so at the same time as he caught my attention, I couldn't help but begrudge him for it. I knew it wasn't fair, but the way he always stared at me, a mixture between calculation and humour, irked me to no end. I tried being patient-overall a new one for me- and hoped I'd find out what was so funny before I cracked his skull open.

I wondered briefly if I even _could_ crack a vampires skull open. I could always try and find out.

"Keep your mind in the game," Melis hissed, catching me off the side of the face and sending me flying into another wall. The wall probably took more damage than me, but could care less. I snarled, jumping to my feet. Physically, I could have kept going. Psychologically, I was ready to blow a gasket. I knew they were taking it easy on Chrys, and I was grateful, but still.

I felt like some kind of pack mule. I almost felt the need to check and see if there was a sign on by back saying, "New girl, fair game." I was had to force myself to not appear bothered by the frequency that Chrysogon had to hunt, too. It was borderline unbearable.

_Screw this shit,_ I thought hostilely, making my way towards the large set of double doors. I was leaving and they sure as hell couldn't stop me. I didn't have to put up with this. As if on cue the double doors flew open, revealing the figures of the three ancients and their wives. Great, simply freaking great. Aro looked to be practically bouncing up and down. I wasn't one to say much, but seeing how old he was, wasn't he a tad immature?

I focused solely on Aro. His eyes glowed exuberantly, like a kid in a candy store. He rubbed his hands together impatiently before clasping them together. What now? I'd been at this for three weeks straight, now what could he possibly want? Double time? If that was the case I'd leave on the spot. I eyed him suspiciously, but he looked ready to hug me. I shuddered at the thought.

"Dear ones," he spoke in a loud, clear voice that echoed across the room. "As of today, it is _official_! Kit and Chrysogon will become full members of the Volturi Guard." I heard some applause but didn't join in myself. I was too stunned.

Hysterical laughter erupted from the back of the room, and I turned to glower at the golden-eyed vampire. When he caught sight of my expression it only fuelled him to laugh harder. Jerk. I wondered if I could poison the vampire somehow. I knew I wouldn't do it, but just planning the threats usually made me feel better. Unfortunately my stupid conscience let me do very little unless there was good cause.

Aro signalled to his wife who brought forth a pair of cloaks. One was relatively light, especially compared to everyone else's in the room, but the other one was nearly as black as the ancients' own garments. I felt a wave of nausea pass through me, though I couldn't tell why. I ignored the feeling as Aro fastened dark cloak around my neck. It really was darker than Jane's.

I was a full member of the Volturi now. It took my full effort to mumble thanks and block out the incessant laughter. I wanted to put a rattle snake down the bastard's cloak, but I'd immediately feel bad for the poor snake. I resigned myself to grinding my teeth in silence.

Melis danced cheerily to Aro's side, whispering something in his ear. I felt myself fighting back a snarl. I could guess what the message meant. No break for me. I wanted-needed-to disappear. To escape. I formulated ways in my mind to get out without being noticed. I wished I could just melt. I stared at Melis angrily as a slow smile spread across her face.

Suddenly I heard a few excited murmurs racing through the crowd. I scanned the crowd to find the source of their gasps to find that none of them were looking in the same direction. Odd. They appeared to be looking for something. What the hell did I miss this time? I turned to Aro and Melis to see they were wearing that same bewildered expression.

"Feisty today, aren't we?" A velvet voice whispered in my ear. I turned to see I was staring into a pair of golden eyes. He chuckled and smeared a dab of green paint on my cheek.

"What the hell was _that_ for?" I roared, fury dripping from my tongue. He just chuckled some more and I noticed every eye was now on me. That's _just_ what I needed. More of an audience. Damn.

"You did it," Melis sang, now dancing over to my side. "The paint was a little much, but you did it!"  
>"Did what?" I growled, ready to lose it. There were only so many buttons you could push before I was bound to snap.<p>

"You were _invisible_," she smiled, "you must have truly been pissed at me, even more so at Adair. Paint doesn't normally affect chameleons, he totally snap your focus!" I growled at him, but he just stood there. If nobody could see me, how did he know where to find me? I tried not to lunge at him. I wouldn't kill him, but I would mind hurting him a bit. I clenched my teeth and balled my fists.

He snickered at my lack of control.

I snapped. I lunged for his throat, but I missed. Rather he was a lot faster than me. He dodged to the side of my attack, but instead of continuing on through the air like I should have, I felt a hand seize my waist and whip me around. Before I knew what was happening I was wrenched into his arms. The pure speed of the event made my head swirl which was why I was caught completely off guard when his lips came crashing down to meet mine.

Had it not already been so, my heart would have stopped. I was dumbfounded for a full three seconds before attempting to wrench free to no avail. I lucky shot to his left cheek caused him to finally drop me. A snarl ripped through me viciously.

"Bastard!" I screamed, this time abandoning any attempts to calm myself.

His tongue ran along his lips and a broad grin stretched across his face. "So this is what the greatest weapon of mass destruction on the face of the planet tastes like...Interesting." I made another lunge at him, snapping and snarling in pure rage. Immediately the entire room separated me and the golden eyed vampire, including Chrys. There was no concealing the loathing I felt for him, and he only seemed to derive more pleasure from my anger.

Worse! Aro seemed to think it was funny too!

The only good thing that came from this was Aro's immediate declaration that I needed time to cool off before I took out the entire room to get to Adair. I left the underground tunnels altogether, relieved to finally be able to breathe in some cool night air.

I didn't even bother staying in the city. I needed to run. I needed to be alone, so I ended up in a densely packed forest. I finally broke into a sprint, watching in delight as the world around me turned into a green blur. Exhilarated, I ran all the faster.

I jumped nimbly into a tree and continued on from branch to branch, adding in handsprings and back flips for fun. I had absolutely no clue where I was going and, quite frankly, I didn't care. I felt like doing something risky. I wanted to squeeze out every drop of adrenaline I possibly could. Like I've said before, I have a very odd addiction.

I came to a cliff and decided I didn't _feel _like stopping. I made the final bound and back flipped out of the tree and down the face of the cliff. Wind rushed past my face, and giggled, eyes wide, as I made my descent. The cliff was steeper than I expected, and I ended up sailing over five hundred feet to the bottom where a pool of water rested. After a few glorious seconds I was completely submerged in water. I broke the surface jubilantly, and floated lazily on my back.

Now _that_ was fun.

I heard an odd rustle coming to the bushes beside me. I guess I wasn't alone after all. I was being followed. With a groan a chucked a pebble in the direction the noise came from and heard it make contact.

"What the _hell," _Melis screeched, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. She rubbed her head in annoyance before turning her hostile stare on me. "That was a stupid thing to do." She hissed.

"I didn't think a pebble would hurt a big, scary vampire such as yourself," I muttered.

"Not _that_," she fumed, "that stupid stunt you just pulled with the cliff. Do you have any clue what these cliffs are _made_ of? There's such a high concentration of basic limestone that the acids in your body will be neutralized and you'd be ripped apart! It might not _kill_ a vampire, but I don't want to have to put your stupid ass back together! Stupid, stupid newborn. Adair was right to have me keep an eye on you." She continued on to mumble a long line of curses.

"What did you say?" I hissed. I didn't give a damn if these cliffs could hurt me or not. I would have jumped anyway just for the thrill. What I did care about was that golden-eyed bastard keeping tabs on me. I climbed out of the pool of water onto the soft, spongy ground. I wanted answers, which she hesitated before giving me.

"I said Adair was right to have me keep an eye on you."

"Why would he care?" I menaced through clenched teeth.

"Everyone cares about you," she retorted. "He's normally not such an asshole either. I didn't think he had it in him."  
>"Had. It. In. Him?" I separated each word deliberately.<p>

"Well, yeah," she hesitated again. "He has a temper but he normally keeps to himself. Extremely anti-social. He's pretty much here for his own reasons, so nobody bothers talking to him either. I never would have guessed he'd have done that. Now let's go."

"Why aren't you with Yanto, anyway?" I muttered. I groaned inwardly. Why me? Why couldn't I just be left alone? Would I ever win?

"Because he's dead," she snapped, malice appearing in her voice. I froze, completely dumbstruck. I sat there so long Melis decided to drag me back by the cloak. As I slid through the mud I found myself completely dazed. What could possibly kill a vampire?


	7. Chapter 6

Please read and review! Even if you think it's bad! I'm really nervous about if I'm doing ok or not!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters appearing in the Twilight saga. They belong to Stephanie Meyer. All other characters belong to me.

**Chapter Six: Stupid conscience, ruling out murder before considering the benefits**

I was put back to work as soon as we got back. Unfortunately for my next few opponents, my intensity level went through the roof. Suddenly they no longer felt the need to fuck with me. Nobody except Adair. He just continued to perpetually to stare at me with that lopsided grin. I was inclined to challenge him to a fight, and I felt ashamed at how I had let him get to me.

As I came to understand the basic principles behind vampire abilities, I began catching on to them exponentially faster than I had before. Now my trainers felt it time to throw nothing but double headers at me. Painful ones. Assholes.

I was starting to convulse. Pain coursed through me like a waterfall. I could hardly focus and the devil twins were gleefully taking their revenge on me. I couldn't get them both down at once. As soon as I got to one, the other one advanced, and they weren't losing any time pressing their advantage against me. My skull felt like it was going to explode and my knees were about to collapse.

My thoughts were reeling as I felt spots cross my line of vision. I was about to lose and those two weren't the type to stop when they'd obviously won. I chuckled to myself. Some weapon I was. I smiled as I collapsed to the ground. I failed. I should have known I would.

"Concentrate!" came an almost enraged shout. I slowly turned my head in the direction of the voice and saw Adair. He was staring at me with unrestrained fire in his hard eyes. "Imitate more techniques or target multiple opponents, God damn it! Think of _something!_" I couldn't help but be shocked by his outburst. Maybe it was the rattling in my head but I thought I could hear his voice quaver.

How was I supposed to do that? Mirrors could only reflect one thing at a time. Wait...that wasn't right. A mirror could reflect multiple rays of light. It could distort them and concentrate them or enlarge them depending on its concavity. It could even diverge a point of light into two. A grin crept across my face as I realised I had a shot.

The twin cherubs struck the ground in unison, hands clutched to their ears as they screamed at an incredibly high pitch. I breathed a sigh of relief and grinned broadly. Adair had slipped back into composure, his uneven smile dancing on his lips. As much as I hated to admit it, I owed him.

I nodded my head gratefully. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. His grin grew broader and he ran his tongue along his lips. Jerk! He was that bad! Jerk, jerk, JERK!

Two hours later I'd floored every group of opponents thrown at me. The more powerful they were to begin with, the easier it was for me to decimate them. Jane an Alec were immediately sidelined but it didn't take me long to figure out how to hold onto multiple techniques, plenty of room left in my consciousness to spare as I picked off my opponents in a ten-pronged assault.

Take that, wankers!

To my surprise, after I sent Demitri straight through the concrete wall, the entire crowd stood up to leave. I watched as they filed out the door wordlessly, apparently off to other business. Melis danced through the crowd and patted my on the back before following her comrades out. Everyone was gone. Well, almost everyone.

"Their work here is done," Adair mused. I twitched, still wanting to hit him for earlier, but unable to shake the gratitude I felt towards him.

"So then why are you still here?" I grumbled.

He made a face of mock pain, "Oh, I didn't know you were the type to hold a grudge, Kitten," he mocked. I hissed at him. Nobody called me that but Bluebird, and after he walked out on me, that list of one shrank to none. "In any case," he continued, either not knowing or not heeding the reaction the name caused, "I said their work was done. Mine is not. Awww, don't you want me to stick around?"

"No," I snapped.

"That's too bad," he said happily, "'cause you're stuck with me." I made no attempt to conceal my groan. I waited there for what felt like an eternity waiting for instructions. When I got none I heaved a sigh and walked out of the room, Adair trailing closely behind. I had a feeling being rid of him was going to be a serious obstacle, one I hoped I could overcome. I tried formulating a hypothesis, now wishing Melis were here so I could start with invisibility.

I had to think of a better way, or a faster way to ditch him. Maybe I could...no...damn...no...no... I made a snap decision and took off at a sprint, hoping I could get rid of him the old fashioned way. No such luck. I hadn't gotten more than fifty meters when I felt his weight crashing into me, pinning me to the wall by my wrists.

"You wouldn't have been trying to get away from me would you?" He asked with a smirk. I chose not to respond and he took the opportunity to examine me. He stared at me intently, staring at places that once bore proud marks of my endeavours, and had I not known better, I'd say he was trying to find my old scars. He looked tempted to pull up my sleeve, or maybe I was just imagining it because of a certain incident that ended in me getting kind of shot. I still don't understand why I was the only one who found that one funny.

Adair let his eyes trail down my neck where his gaze caught. I was really glad I couldn't blush because I was sure that by now my cheeks would have been flaming. He was way too close and his scent was a lot more appealing than I'd ever admit. His teasing grin slowly melted into a soft smile. He released my left arm, pressing himself closer to me to ensure I remained his captive. He moved his hand down to the small necklace that hung resiliently in place despite the years of hell I'd put it through.

He stroked the small, tear shaped stone that hung just above my collar bone and I felt myself go rigid. I didn't like anyone touching it. As much as it was nothing more than a deep blue pebble tied with a plain black string, it was my greatest treasure. It was a gift from the only man I'd ever allowed myself to love. Even if he left me a long, long time ago.

"Why do you keep this?" Adair whispered, never once taking his eyes off the necklace.

"None of your business," I muttered, trying to avoid the topic. Not only was it embarrassing, but, due to an accident, I could hardly remember it myself.

"You can trust me," he replied sincerely, completely disregarding my comment. I rolled my eyes in disbelief. I'd heard that time and time again. It never lasted, not around me. No matter how hard I tried, I'd always be left alone. Adair finally glanced back up to my face. "Would it help if I apologized?"

I was inclined to say no but something in his eyes made me reconsider. "Maybe..." I sighed, looking away in embarrassment. He grabbed my chin with his free hand and forced me to look into his eyes. I was grateful again that I couldn't blush because I didn't know what my cheeks would have done under such bright and pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said levelly. "I was being a jerk, but," he paused, his lopsided grin reappearing, "I would be lying if I said I wouldn't do it again. I'll try to remember to ask next time." I sighed, knowing that was the best I was going to get. He started to laugh lightly at my expression. I was flustered, and he knew it. "Anyway, why do you keep it?"

"Because it's important to me," I answered truthfully. "The man who gave it to me saved my life when I was little,"

"Your vision is so _clouded_," Adair sighed, finally releasing his grip on my other arm. I felt myself bristle at the comment. What was wrong with keeping something with sentimental values? Even vampires must have some things they care about. I turned to walk away, knowing full well he was behind me.

"So why are you following me?" I asked, considering yet another escape attempt.

"I'm more or less your bodyguard," he replied cheerfully. You seem to have a knack for getting yourself in trouble" I ignored the obvious fact that was right and went straight for my defence.

"C'mon," I retorted, "I'm a _vampire_. What's the worst that could possibly happen?" It occurred to me that I'd just unwittingly stated the most condemning phrase in the history of the English language. Not that I cared. Shit always came my way whether I incited it or not.

Adair's eyes flared.

"Hmm, let me _think," _he said dryly. "You could be mobbed by other vampires, you don't make many friends in your position, impale yourself on the Volturian Cliffs, don't think I haven't heard of that last stunt you pulled, and, hell, knowing you, you'd probably run into a _werewolf. _How would you fight one of those?"

"I can take care of myself," I snorted, and it was true. The only time I ever _truly_ life-or-death needed somebody was eleven years ago and I didn't remember a thing. I'd sort of hit my head really, really hard. That wasn't exactly surprising. I'd done it enough times to not question that the severity could escalate so.

"Can you now?" He snarled at me. "As far as my memory serves you nearly get yourself _killed _daily!"

"How would you know?" I asked coldly.

"I know a lot more about you than you could ever imagine," he hissed, his lips pulling back in a snarl that showed his brilliant teeth. Somehow I'd struck a chord, and naturally I was going to keep pushing it.

"Sure. Right. If you _know_ me so well, then why don't you know when to _leave me the hell alone_?"

"My pleasure," he snarled, turning on his heels. He was gone within moments, disappearing into the shadows of the underground passageways. Ha! If he had so much resolve, then how did I get rid of him so easily? I guess I wasn't stuck with him after all. I could finally be alone...

My last fibre of hope was crushed as Melis appeared out of nowhere and asked me to deliver some boxes for her. I wasn't very good at saying no to people asking for help and obliged without a quarrel.

Little did I realise that the chore was merely a design to keep me occupied. A design that kept me on a leash for the next two weeks of my life.


	8. Chapter 7

HEYA! Thanks to a reader I realise that some people may not have gotten the implications I was hinting at when I referred to limestone being an aid to breaking down a vampire's body. CHEMISTRY LESSON! YEY! I'll try keeping it sweet and simple.

Essentially there are 3 levels on a pH scale: basic, neutral and acidic. Everything falls into one of these 3 categories, even us people. You may not realise we're acidic ourselves! Bases have their own physical properties and tend to corrode things away. (I've accidently stuck my hand in hydrogen peroxide and experienced the fun and pain of having my hand bleached) Acids tend to melt through and burn. Neutral is neutral, no fun and does nada.

Anyway in a reaction where acid is combined by a base-called a neutralization reaction-the acid and base cancel each other out. I seem to recall Stephanie Meyer referring to an increased level of acidity in a vampire's body which gave me the idea if a cliff had a specific chemical composition and the bases (one being limestone) matched EXACTLY the same level as the acids in the vampire the acids would react with the bases and cancel out the others properties.

SHORT VERSION: The base in the limestone-compound (which is extremely rare and one of a kind) would neutralize the acids within the vampire and render their bodies without any properties. In this state their usual hardness and durability would be negated and they would be able to be shredded and impaled as any person would.

Please message me if this doesn't make sense or if you think it's lame or even creative!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters who appear in the Twilight saga. They are the property of Stephanie Meyer. Other characters are mine though!

**Chapter Seven: And you actually wonder why I don't trust anybody...**

"I can't take this anymore!" I screamed, whipping the box I'd been carrying outside of Demitri's room. I wasn't even going to knock on the stupid door because I knew _exactly_ what would happen. He'd open the door and take his stupid package and give me something else to deliver as absolutely everyone else had done. If they were unwilling to perform the tedium themselves, they should just forget about the whole thing!

I needed to get out, needed to have some peace. Ok, so maybe my idea of peace would be considered horrifying to others, but it still wasn't that much to ask for. Was time to myself too much to ask for, really?

I sprinted from the underground tunnels, knowing exactly where I was going. I'd finally found some _risk_, and I couldn't have been happier. I was always drawn to some sort of impending doom. After all, if you weren't living on the edge, you were taking up far too much room.

I found myself nearing the cliffs, plotting on the perfect near-impossible dive to the pond. I'd never been a gymnast-God only knew I'd be caught dead before wearing those ridiculous uniforms-but maybe I should have been.

"Don't you _dare,_" a voice hissed at me. I skidded to a halt, cursing my bad luck, as I turned to see Adair leaning against a tree, arms folded angrily. When the hell did he get there? I jutted my chin out defiantly, taking off in a sprint before he could react. I heard him swearing behind me, but I was close enough to the cliffs that he hadn't a chance at stopping me.

I decided to handspring of the cliff, choosing a double-back-flip with an angled twist before I began my date with gravity. I could have laughed in pure delight as I plummeted down into the water below. Even my subconscious would have had to laugh, my adrenaline addiction would be the death for me.

I arched my back as I went in headfirst, creating barely any splash despite the length of my descent. When I floated to the top I felt myself being forcibly dragged out by my cloak. Huh, in theory I should have remembered to take that thing off 'cause it could have ensured a painful landing. Ah well, too late now.

I didn`t fight, I knew what was going on and a struggle would be pointless. When we finally reached the shore he tossed me roughly to the ground. Adair glared at me, unconcealed rage burning in his now charcoal-black eyes. Hmm...Maybe he was still stuck on that bodyguard kick after all. The thought annoyed me, but there was no contest on which of us was the angrier of the two.

I could have almost laughed.

"What the hell is your problem," he raged, pacing in front of me. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? 'Cause if I had a damn heartbeat you would have succeeded! How many times do you have to do this to me before you're satisfied?"

"How many times?" I repeated. "You just met me, and why would you care?"

"It's my damn _job_. I'm responsible for protecting you, and you just seem to love making it harder and harder!" By then Adair had been screaming at the top of his lungs. I wished he'd just leave me the hell alone. Just when I'd finally ditched the others, _he_ showed up. What was I supposed to do? Sit in a corner and be a good girl until it was time to destroy the Cullens? Fat chance.

"Why don't you just leave again?" I hissed at him, trying to fight off the urge to flee. "Why'd you pick _now_ to come back?"

"As if I'd actually leave, you stubborn brat," he spat. "Just because you couldn't see me-"

"So you _are _a chameleon," I accused. "You think having black eyes makes you look cool or something?"

"You _idiot," _he chortled. "I'm not a chameleon, I'm a shadow. You think that chameleon would even _stand a chance _against me?" I shrugged. His cloak was lighter than mine but it was easily darker than all but the devil-cherubs. A faint trace of amusement tinted his anger as he continued to stare at me. "You've never seen yourself in a mirror, have you? Might I ask what colour you think _your_ eyes are?"

I was dumbfounded. Wasn't it obvious that my eyes were as red as everyone else's? At least, that's what I'd been told. "Red," I said in a small, sheepish voice. He began howling in laughter, unconcerned by the scowl I flashed him.

"A mirror who's never seen her own reflection," he laughed in near hysterics. I froze, what fucking colour were they, then? "Your eyes are blacker than mine! Do you really not know why my eyes-our eyes-are different than the others?" I didn't answer, too abashed to not know. Then again, I didn't know much. He stopped laughing and inhaled sharply to compose himself. "Kit, a vampire's eyes turn red when they consume the blood of a human, which is why the entire Volturi clan has them.

"On the other hand, when you consume animal blood, your eyes turn gold. They grow dark when you need to hunt. I've been so busy looking after you, I haven't had a chance in ages," he looked at me thoughtfully. "You're still in the dark, aren't you?"

"I'm used to it by now," I muttered. Yeah, nobody told me anything, but who did? People never seemed to be able to figure out why I didn't trust others, but I feel a large chunk of the answers were self explanatory.

"Maybe you should know the Volturi aren't who you think they are. Aro would be able to show you as much. You've heard by now that he can see every memory in a person's head by touching them, I assume?" I nodded, I'd heard as much in passing conversations. "Check it out. You'll only freak out on me if you figure out you were wrong when it's too late."

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked in fear, surprised by the possibility of a new twist in my life right now. I cocked my head in confusion afterwards, was I that obvious?

"You need to figure that out for yourself," he replied with a shrug. "I'm only here for my own purposes."

"Oh," I said dumbly, suddenly feeling the need to see Aro. I needed to know the truth. I turned to Adair. "You know, if you're constantly looking after me, then how do you accomplish your own business?" I spoke without thinking, nothing new, but I wished I hadn't.

"My priorities are my own," he replied shortly, "but if you can promise me that you'll stay out of trouble for two hours-just two, that's all I'm asking-then I can hunt. You might want to try looking into the water, your reflection isn't that scary. You're actually kind of cute."

I snorted in disbelief. I was far from attractive. I had never been so, and I definitely wasn't now. I'd heard it all before. I contorted my face into the picture of complete denial. He was just messing with me. His crooked grin said it all. Why did everybody just have to pick on me?

"Do you promise?" He pressed. Apparently _that _part wasn't a joke. Bummer.

"Fine," I mumbled, that'd be the easiest way to get him off my back. I had other things to see to anyway."

"You might want to hunt yourself," he said suddenly, "How long has it been since you last hunted?" To my annoyance he looked genuinely concerned. What the hell was with this guy? He was all over the jerk-o-meter, and he just couldn't seem to decide just what part he wanted to play. I shrugged off his question, turning to return to Volterra. He seemed to want to force me into answering but turned away reluctantly.

I took off, determined to find a way into Aro's mind. I thought the Volturi were supposed to keep everything in order. Weren't they the _good_ guys? What did Adair mean when he said that they weren't who I thought they were? If they weren't who they said they were, then who were the Cullens in this mess?

My head swam as I flew through the open halls, formulating a plan to unlock his memories. I was so consumed in my own thoughts I bowled straight into my target without even realising it. I hit the ground but he seemed completely unfazed.

"Kit, my dear!" He exclaimed, genuinely pleased to see me. "It's been bothering me so that Yanto had been keeping me from you, but now that he's been taken care of...may I please take a look into your mind?"  
>I just realised then and there that it was truly bothering him. What a weirdo. Whatever, it worked for me. I paused, shuddering. Yanto was <em>taken care of?<em> Aro killed Yanto! I almost refused the request then and there, but I couldn't forget what I'd come to do.

"Of course you may, Aro," I said as respectfully as I could. His eyes brightened in glee. He reached his hand out for mine and I obliged him, beginning to concentrate. The ability itself worked much like a dam, I had to let down the barrier in order to let his memories flood in.

I was immediately caught off guard at just how many there were. Millions of memories from thousands upon thousands of vampires. His own were difficult to single out, but, when I finally found them, my stomach dropped. I saw these "Cullens" through the eyes of a particular bronze-haired male.

I could see such unfathomable bitterness, but, as time progressed, that bitterness was replaced by a pale girl with chocolate brown eyes. I saw it all, a tracker, a ballet studio, werewolves, rivalry, a wedding, feathers, a baby, his newborn mate, a battlefield.

Son of a mother-fucking bitch!

I had this wrong. All wrong. I could feel the greed and power-craze coursing through Aro's mind. I finally understood why I was so important. That Bella shield-girl didn't stand a chance, not in the presence of her daughter, a force that could crumple any shield. Then an already one-sided battle would become a slaughter. I had been stalked by Volturi for some time it seemed, ever since Yanto discovered me three years ago.

I hadn't time to dig deeper, I had to leave quickly before Aro could figure out just what I was thinking _now. _I checked to see exactly what Aro was looking at, and was relieved to find him obsessing over a blurred and obscure image from when I was six. A tall, dark figure wavered as he stood over top of me in the memory. It was blurry, but Aro couldn't have seemed to care less. His avid interest freaked me out.

I yanked my hands away, causing him to start. "That memory is private," I said with a feigned sheepishness. I needed to leave, and I needed to leave now.

"But of course, My Dear Kit," he replied. "My apologies, thank you for the small insight."

"My pleasure, Aro," I lied. I had somehow managed to absorb information a lot faster than he had and I was grateful for it. I had to find Chrys, then we were gone. There was no way I was standing to fight for the most corrupt empire the world had ever seen.

As I ran to see Chrys, Adair appeared behind me. I wasn't particularly surprised, but he was back a lot faster than he'd originally stated.

"What happened," he demanded, catching onto my mood. "What's wrong?"

"I'm leaving," I admitted. "I'm such a damn fool." I'd known there was something off, but could just never quite place it.

"So where will you go now?" He asked soberly. He seemed to have expected this to happen.

"Forks. The Cullens are in danger. The army that faced them years ago has easily _quintupled_ since last time. They will be crushed if I don't figure out a way to help them."

"So you pick the losing side," he said with what sounded oddly like sadness.

"I pick the _right_ side," I corrected with finality. "Even if you plan on stopping me, I'll fight you." I suddenly wondered why I was telling all of this to someone who could very well be my enemy. I guess I just felt obligated because he tipped me off.

"I won't stop you. In fact, I'm going with you."

"Wait, what?" I fumbled uncertainly. "What about your priorities?"

"I can't very well protect what's mine if I'm dead," he chuckled. "I'm sure to be executed for letting you escape if I stay." My jaw dropped at how amused he seemed by his impending doom and I felt more than a little bad for putting him in that position. I nodded dumbly at him. I still couldn't figure out what his deal was, but I'd keep a close eye on him.

We diverged paths, him needing to fetch something and me needing to fetch Chrys. I flew through the doors of our chambers, screaming like a lunatic that we had to leave.

"Why?" She asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at me. I was shocked at the response. When have I ever done something to earn such mistrust. Oh yeah, I was the reason she was now a vampire. I looked into her red eyes wearily, shuddering at the new knowledge of just why they glowed such a colour.

"The Volturi aren't who they say they are," I replied impatiently. We had to leave _now_. Chrysogon, we're on the wrong side."

"Since when have you known anything about choosing the right side?" She snapped. "You always take the worst and most dangerous route. I'll bet you don't even know what you're talking about."

"Chrys," I pleaded. "Chryssie, I've seen it in Aro's thoughts. Trust me, I-"

"You what?" She roared. "The Volturi have accepted us as their own and you just want to throw them away? No way, Kit. The Volturi are my _family_, and unlike you, I'm loyal to my family."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. She wasn't going to listen and it was best to just accept that. She was safer here anyway, not like Adair who had been specifically assigned to keep me safe and in the clutches of the Volturi. I guess Chrys was just another person to feign friendship and then disown me in the end. Typical. I really should have seen it coming.

Being used to this, I didn't turn it into a big deal. She'd made her decision, and that was all there was to it. I leapt through the window without more than a second's hesitation. This was the last I'd see of her for quite some time.

I sighed as I ran off into the night, letting the darkness swallow me whole.


	9. Chapter 8

Me: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! *bats eyes*

Adair: Don't you have to be charming for that to work?

Me: Shut the fuck up, Asshole! *snivels and runs away*

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in the Twilight saga. Other characters, especially the pugnacious ones, are my own.

**Chapter Eight: If you trust, they'll let you fall**

I stopped caring that Adair was at my heels. We hadn't spoken for the longest time, not since he'd first caught up to me. I'd remained completely composed, not wavering in the slightest. On the inside, I wasn't doing so well. I thought I could trust Chrys, despite my better judgement I'd believed she might not leave.  
>I felt like she'd dragged a knife against my unbeating heart and then kicked it. But this was nothing new. That's why not even Chrys was allowed to get too close. I'd been stupid for getting attached to her in the least.<p>

"You let her stay?" Adair asked tentatively, carefully examining my expression.

"She's made her decision based on what's right by her. At least she's safer where she is now." One thing Chrysogon had been right about without question was that my way was definitely more dangerous. A lot more dangerous. I had to remind myself that dragging her along with me would have done neither of us any good. If I just detached myself from her, the bleeding would surely stop.

"You've fought with your life for her on multiple occasions, and you can just accept her leaving you?" I flinched inwardly, disregarding how the hell he would possibly know in the first place. It was Yanto and Melis who had stalked me for three years, but they could have easily relayed information to him. Although, from what I'd seen, those two seemed to be afraid of me. Something had kept them away.

Maybe I'd inadvertently caused Yanto's death by becoming a vampire. He seemed so afraid to turn me into one.

"What else could I do?" I asked rhetorically. "If she doesn't care about me anymore, well, that's up to her to decide." I didn't want him to continue asking questions. I didn't know how I'd answer some of them. "Besides," I muttered, "I'm used to it by now."

"Used to it?" he questioned. "Just how often does this happen to you?"

I shrugged, "A lot." I couldn't think of a single person who had ever decided to stay with me. I guess I wasn't a very amicable person. No matter how much I gave it never seemed to be enough. Even the guy who saved my life never showed up again to let me pay me debt. I must've been a naturally repulsive person.

"When did I miss _this?" _I heard him mutter to himself. I had no clue what he was talking about, but I was in no mood to press for answers. He gave me a strange look, one that I couldn't quite read. What was it? Pity? That was the last thing I wanted. I could take care of myself.

He caught my wrist, forcing me to stop running.

"Kitten, are you alright?" He asked softly. I resisted the urge to smack him for calling me Kitten. I didn't want anybody referring to me so familiarly.

"I'm fine," I answered. "I told you, it happens all the time. That's why letting people in is a big mistake." I didn't know why he seemed to care so much, but I wished he wouldn't. I didn't need people worrying about me. I was strong. I could handle this pain the same way I handled all others: in silence. People pitying me made me feel weak and worthless.

"I take it you never truly let anyone in," he said sadly. His sympathetic look was maddening. I needed him to stop it, and I was inches from begging him to do so. He took my silence as a yes, and I hated that somebody I'd only just met could read me better than anyone else ever had. "I wish I could make you trust me," he said so quietly I almost didn't hear him.

I smiled slightly and patted him on the back. "There, there. Shall we continue now?" I asked impatiently. He rolled his eyes, his crooked grin reappearing on his face. He looked almost hurt by my ignoring his serious comment, but the look was so fleeting I could have easily been wrong. I couldn't take the comment seriously anyway. Not after I'd been through the same thing so many times.

I was grateful he`d decided to drop the conversation all together. His easy lopsided grin made it easier for me to concentrate on other things. We blurred through cities, going so fast we would have looked like nothing more than an odd streak in somebody`s peripheral.

Though at first it struck me as odd, I couldn`t help but marvel at how Adair looked in the sunlight. His every feature seemed to be enhanced as he gleamed in the sun`s light. I stared at him a lot, trying not to make it look obvious.

"Kit?" Adair said suddenly, breaking the long silence we had assumed. Humour flooded his voice. He dead stopped suddenly, and I decided to follow suit to see what was up.

"Yeah," I asked uncertainly, more than a little confused.

"You're scaring me," he replied with a laugh. "When was the last time you hunted?"

"Eh?" I was taken aback. I didn't understand where he was going with this.

"Your eyes are _beyond_ black," he said with a mixture of amusement and worry. "They look like black holes or something. Seriously, Kitten, I've never seen you hunt." I hesitated, knowing my response would only bring on more ridicule.

"I...I haven't," I looked down in my feet. I could just never bring myself to do it.

"Never?" he exclaimed in complete astonishment. "Avoiding human blood is difficult enough. How do you avoid _any?"_

"I...I've never killed anything in my life," I replied meekly. I couldn't even process that, for me to live, something had to die. As I predicted, he began to roar with laughter.

"The world's greatest WMD can't even kill a rabbit!" He boomed. Once again I was grateful that I couldn't blush. "Oh, Kitten, you're such a riot. You take vampire vegetarianism to a whole new level. Congrats. In any case, I really think you should hunt now." His face suddenly turned serious. "I don't trust how consuming your eyes look. I could be wrong, but why risk it?"

"I'm fine Adair," I said. "You hardly hunt yourself." I gave a convincing smile and he sighed.

"You know, you're always _fine," _he grumbled. "I, at least, hunt every week or so unless you distract me. You're _two months old_ and you've never hunted."

"_So?" _I challenged. "Is there anything wrong with that?" I knew he had no answer. Otherwise I'd have played no other card than defiance.

"I'm not sure...I've never seen a vampire go without _any _blood before. Leave it to you to make the only exception," he said, suddenly grabbing my chin, "I'd appreciate if you didn't keep testing yourself to see what happens."

"You worry too much," I laughed carelessly. "Worry about your own hide."

"I'll worry about mine the day you start taking care of yours," he growled. I laughed, that probably would never happen. My life was worthless, but for the moments I spent it protecting others. I decided that years ago. That was what was right by me.

I began to set off again when I stumbled. All my muscles suddenly seized for a fraction of a second. I was confused as to what had just happened, but disguised it as clumsiness though Adair seemed sceptical. I tried explaining that my balance had always been a little off-balance but he didn't seem to believe that either.

It had taken us practically no time to reach the ocean. We dove in without hesitation and it didn't take me long to feel sorry for anyone who had ever fallen overboard. The further away from mainland we got, the more treacherous the waters became.

I could feel every wave slam itself against me, threatening to trap me in its cold embrace. It seemed so easy for Adair, but I could feel myself slowing down. For the first time since becoming a vampire, I was starting to feel fatigue. Something was wrong with me.

Eight hours into our swim, my muscles seized again. I plunged deep into the water, completely unable to control my descent. I spun wildly with the coursing ocean until, thirty seconds later, they finally started to work again. I broke through the surface, breathing in air desperately. Though I didn't actually need air, it was comforting to be able to breathe again. My head was swimming and my vision was somehow clouded. As I tried to regain my bearings Adair popped out of the water beside me.

"What the hell just happened?" He demanded, his temper flaring in his eyes.

"Nothing," I lied abruptly, "I just thought I saw something." He eyed me suspiciously for some time, only giving up once it was absolutely certain my answer wasn't changing. Why the hell did he look so worried? I didn't need a keeper.

"We'll be in America in a few hours," he finally said. "It won't take us too long after that to get to Forks."

"Thanks."  
>"No problem," he muttered, looking like he had something else he'd rather say. I was glad he didn't. I let my eyes wander down to his chest, where his shirt was plastered tightly to him. I cursed myself, swimming away before I said something stupid.<p>

I was grateful when we finally reached mainland. After the episode out in the middle of the ocean, I was certainly a fan of solid ground. I didn't bother about drying off; the wind would take care of that for me. What did worry me was the ever increasing sense of fatigue that I had to fight to conceal. Each new step felt heavier and heavier. I knew this shouldn't be happening, but I wouldn't let it stop me. As long as I could get through the ordeal silently, I was ok.

We'd be in Forks in less than a day's time.

"You really are a slow, Kitten," Adair mocked. "It's hard to believe you could hold your own in a fight at all."

"Oh yeah?" I grinned, and before I could stop myself I lunged at him and tackled him, sending both of us careening down a steep hill. I was getting dizzy, but I would not allow him to end up on top when we reached the bottom. He'd never let me live me failing at my own surprise attack down. Finally, when we reached the bottom of the hill, I had his wrists seized and I pinned him to the ground. "HA!" I cheered triumphantly.

He didn't struggle under my grip; he just stared up at me with a broad grin. I realised then just how I must've looked. My hair was wild and windblown as I sat perched on his chest, my knees straddled on either side of him. To top it off, he was tall enough that I had to lean so far to pin his wrists that my face was no more than a couple inches from his.

I loosened my grip immediately and got up as fast as I could. I felt incredibly stupid, and I'd, no doubt, just painted a target on my head.

"I didn't know you felt that way about me," he teased as I scrambled to get away. He easily kept pace with me, oh the woes of being slow. "The little kitten is feeling _playful_ today, _isn't_ she?" He was laughing himself into a riot and he wasn't letting up any time soon. I tried speeding up, conscious of the increasing pain in my muscles.

I didn't get far.

In a flash the pain swelled exponentially and paralyzed every muscle in my body. It happened mid-stride, causing me to fall face-first and skid to an unpleasant stop. I tried to move but couldn't even blink. The pain spread through every inch of my body, throbbing painfully. The only thing I was immediately aware of was Adair crumpled over at my side.

"Kitten?" He shouted, gripping my face in his hands. "KIT!" He seemed to be looking intently into my eyes. "There isn't a single speck of white in them now!" He roared. "Why couldn't you just listen to me and hunt? Stupid, stupid girl!" He uttered a long line of curses as he tried to think of something.

"Can you move at all?" He asked, his voice simmering down a tone. I tried to answer, but my tongue was too heavy. He took my silence as a no. "Carlisle, then, we need Carlisle."

He hauled me onto his back in one swift movement and wind began to blow against my motionless face. His hands felt like they were shaking and I began to worry if I was too heavy. I wanted to tell him to put me down. I could do this on my own. Suddenly my body began to convulse, the pain throbbing like an electric pulse, and I felt the wind on my face move even faster.

"Damnit, Kit, you better hang in there!" He screamed at me.

What else was I supposed to do?


End file.
